Lugnuts fall short at Great Lakes, 7-6

MIDLAND, Mich. – A day after allowing a late rally in a series-opening loss, the Great Lakes Loons (20-15) turned the trick themselves, using a four-run seventh to eke past the Lansing Lugnuts (15-20), 7-6, on Wednesday night at Dow Diamond.

On Tuesday, the Nuts came back from 4-1 down to stun the Loons, 7-4.

On this day, it was the Lugnuts taking a 4-3 lead on a Tyler Soderstrom first-inning two-run homer and Lawrence Butler third-inning two-run double and bringing that lead into the late going.

But with one out in the home seventh, Jonny DeLuca drew a walk from Lansing reliever Edward Baram and Eddys Leonard doubled him to third. The Nuts intentionally walked Jorbit Vivas to load the bases and José Ramos followed with a go-ahead two-run single to left, with Vivas taking third and Ramos moving up to second on the throw home. Leonel Valera then sent a grounder to third, where Brett Harris gloved it cleanly but airmailed his throw over first baseman Tyler Soderstrom to bring in two more runs for a 7-4 Loons lead.

The Lugnuts immediately responded in the eighth. Jared McDonald led off with a single against southpaw Julian Smith and Lazaro Armenteros walked. After a strikeout of Sahid Valenzuela, Drew Swift notched his third hit of the game with an RBI single to center, bringing in McDonald to pare the Loons’ lead to 7-5. Great Lakes turned to closer José Hernández, but Austin Beck kept the Lugnuts’ bats roaring with an RBI double to left, driving home Armenteros as Swift stopped at third.

And then the game shifted. Hernández struck out Soderstrom and Harris with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, ending the eighth.

In the ninth, the lefty struck out Marty Bechina, Butler and McDonald in succession, ending the game.

Lugnuts starter Jeff Criswell struck out five and walked five in 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision, allowing three runs. Diego Granado pitched the next 1 2/3 innings perfectly, whiffing two.

Daniel Martinez followed Baram to the mound and turned in a perfect eighth.

The third game of the six-game set will see right-hander Osvaldo Berrios (6.98 ERA) duel with Great Lakes right-hander Emmett Sheehan (0.00 ERA) at 6:05 p.m. Thursday. The next home game in Michigan’s state capital arrives May 31, when the Nuts welcome in the Cedar Rapids Kernels. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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